Automobile-top.



c M. ZLLBRS'.

AUTOMOBILE' TDP. y APPLIOATIGN FILED MAY 2, 1910.

Patented Jan. 9,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' vMBPLIUA'I'ION' FILED MH 2, 19,10.

of M. ZELLERS.

AUTOMOBILE TOP.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.-

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CLAUDE M. .ZELLERQ 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

To all lwhom z'may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE M. ZELLERS, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of- St.' Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Automobile- Tops, of which the following is a speclfication containing a full, clear, and exact descriptiomfreferenoe being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention lrelates to improvements in automobile tops, the object of my invention being to construct a top which may be carried when not in use upon a roll which is arranged at a convenient point preferably to the rear of the rearmost seat.

Afurther object of my invention is to construct?i bows for supporting a detachable top, which bows, when not in use, may be carried along the sides of the automobile body and to the rear of the seat backs.

For the above purposes my invention consiste vin certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more full described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the ac'- companying drawings, .in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an automobile equipped with my improved top; Fig. 2 is ,Y an enlarged, longitudinal, sectlonal eleva tion illustrating the top proper complete together with the roller and a portion of the housing for the roller, the upper portion only of the bows being shown; Fig. 3 is an enlarged, sectional elevation lillustrating one end portion ofthe housing and the roller showing a portion of the top as when rolled up and out of use; Fig. 4 is an enlarged,

detail, sectional 'elevation illusrating the construction of the forward end of the top proper taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5' is a transverse, sectional 'elevation taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the construction of the bows and the means forcarrying them from the body of the automobile; Fig. 7 isa vertical, .sectional elevation taken on the line 7--7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a transverse2 sectional view taken on the line 8,-8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a transverse, sectional -view of the top prrper. showing the side or drop cur- Specification .of Letters Patent. p Application illed May 2, 1910. Serial No. 558,849.

ordina construction.

AUTOMOBILE-Tor.

Patented aan. 9,1912'.

tains in extended positions; Fig. 10 is a vieyv similar to Fig. 9 and' shows the side or` drop curtains in a position as when not .in',use; Fig. 11 is a plan of oneof the side curtains removed from -the top; and Fig. 12

illustrates a modified form of top.

Referring by numerals to the accompanyingl drawings:

1`i designates the frame and 2 the body of an automobile each of which may be of 3 -designates the running board and 4 the guard for the rear wheel.

5 designates a housing, the end members of which are carried by the wheel guards 4 and l6 designates a roller, spring driven in one direction' carried byland inclosed in the housing 5.

7 designates the top proper, the rearmost margin of which is secured to the roller 6 and its forward margin is secured to the tubular casing 8.

9 'and 10 designate linings for the top which are spaced and held apart by the transverse ribs 11 dividing the top into separate compartments for the reception of the side curtains 12 and 13 which side curtains occupythe spaces between the topmembers 7, 9 and 10. .f As shown in Fig. 10, each of the side curtains is provided with astrap 14 having a fastenin device at its end, the strap bemg substantially the same length as the curtain proper.

Inclosed within thetubular casing 8 -is a spring roller 15 and carried' by the roller is a front curtain or wind shield 16, a phrtion of which is preferably of flexible, tran'sparent material which is not shown.

17 and 18 designate the bowsfor support' ing the top, which bows are preferably tua bular. As shown, the upper portion of each bow is divided or split and preferably the rearmost halves of the bows are integral with the end or side portions of the bows, the portions 19 or front halves of the bows being hinged at 20 to the bows proper.

For holding the bows separated or in a i position to properly support the top I have provided h-.f knuckle jolnted rods or struts 21 and 22 which as shown occupy positions wholly within the bows when in a closed orfolded position'.

The ends of the front half 19 of the foremost bow are slotted at 23 to receive the braces 24 which are pivotally supported at their ends within the front halves 19. The lower end of each of the braces 24 is provided ywith a slot 2.5.

The casing 8 is externally threaded at each of its ends to receive the caps 26, and each cap is provided with an' annular groove 27 to "receive the slotted ends of the braces 24 when in an extended position as shown in Fig. 1.

Arranged adjacent each'end portion of the tubular casing 8 is a loop 28 and carried by the machine frame are a pair of loops 29 which loops 28 and 29 are connected by straps 30, each of which is provided with adjusting devices such as a buckle 31.

For holding the'bows in an extended position I have provided swivel rings 32 which embrace the lower ends of the bows and which are carried upon the pivots 33 secured to the sides of the body 2.

It is to be understood that the lower en ds of the bowsare free to move lengthwise through the swivel rings. f 34 designates brackets which are secured to the body of the automobile and which are provided with integral projections 35 of a size to itin the ends of the bows.

For carrying the bows in a closed condiltion I have provided the brackets 36 which are in positions forwardly and downwardly relative the brackets 34, each of which is provided with the projections 37 to engage in the ends -of the bows, the upper portion of the bows being supported by brackets 38 carried by the seatbacks. In such a position the portion of the bows just to the rear of the seat backs may be very conveniently employed asracks for holding robes or other furnishings. Y

39 designates a pocket extending lengthwise ofthe housing 5 land at its top to receive and hold the tubular casing 8 when vthe top is wound upon the roller 6 when not in use, and 40 designates a hinged cover for the pocket to completely inclose the top in the housing.

.In Fig. 12 I have illustrated a modified form of bow which is substantially the same as my preferred formexcept that .there is a pair of braces41 carried by the rearmost half of the bow which is substantially the same as the braces 24 carried by the foremost half of the bow. By such an arrangement it is obvious that a single bow may be employed to hold'the automobile top in Aa proper elevated position.

Assuming the bows to be in a closed position7 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1,

Loi-nass to be wholly inclosed within the housing 5 and it be desired to inclose the automobile body the operator lifts the bows removing their lowerends from the brackets 36'to a position over, to be supported by the brackets 34 as shown-in solid lines in Fig. 1. The front halves of the lbpws are then pulled forwardly and supported in an open position by the braces 21 and 22. The tubular casing 8 is then lifted from the pocket 39 of the housing 5 at the rear of the automobile and the top is then unwound from the roller 6 and extended over the tops of the bows with the casing 8 in a position some considerable distance forwardly of the front half of the front bow. In this positionthe pop is prevented from rolling downwardly by the braces 24, the slotted ends of which are placed in the annular grooves 27 of the caps on the ends of the tubular casing 8. The straps 30 are then placed as shown in Fig. 1 to hold the top in place and'against the tension of the spring which actuates the roller 6.

For the complete inclosure of the body of the automobile the side curtains 12 and 13 may be drawn downwardly and secured in place by any suitable fastening devices carried along the top margin of the automobile body. In this position the straps 14 occupy the spaces between the layers of the top, their ends projecting slightly so that they may be grasped when it is desired to again place the curtains within the top. By such an arrangement of top and bows, the top proper may be carried when not in use in a rolled condition rather than a folded condition as is common. j i

To persons familiar with the art to which my invention belongs it is known that the carrying of a top in a folded or creased condition tends to crack the top and that thematerial of the top'wears most rapidly and is most subject to leakage at the fold.

By arranging the top as I have done the folding is entirely eliminated, hence I believe a top constructed as shown will have greater life than an ordinary or folding top.

I claim:

1. A bow for automobile tops, comprising a tubular member constructed of separable halves hinged together and Vmeans for holding said halves separated at times, which means occupy positions within ,the bowmembers when folded.

2. In combination with suitable bows and means for holding the bows in open,v and folded positions, a flexible top, a spring ac- ;rnd the top proper tuated roller device for carrying said top` .when not in use, a roller device carried 4'by said top, a iiexible curtain carried by said roller,vsaid flexible top being composed of several layers, curtains carried therebetween, and iexible detachable means for'securing l said top in place over said bows when in use.

.3. In combination with suitable bows, a In fcstimony whereof, I have sighed my i iiexible top, a. spring actuated roller device name to this specicatiomin presence Aof two 1o fo'1 calrymg said tog whei not inuse'a subscribing witnesses.

ro er evice carried y sai top a exi e f curtain carried by Said roller, sid aexible CLAUDE -M- ZELLERS' top being composed of several layers, and Witnesses: y curtains carried therebetween, substantially E. L. WALLACE,

as shown. f H. G. FLETCHER.

Copies of this patent my be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

I y Washingtn, D. c. 

